Doolittle Named ACC Player of the Year

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May 22, 2006

Greensboro, NC – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today the recipients of the Baseball All-ACC teams and individual award winners as voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches. NC State led all schools with six honorees on this season’s All-Conference teams. Five schools each placed four members on the All-Conference teams including Clemson -2006 Atlantic Division champions, North Carolina – 2006 Coastal Division champions, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Miami. Florida State and Wake Forest each had three student-athletes selected.

Virginia’s Sean Doolittle was honored as the ACC Player of the Year. Doolittle started all 56 games for the Cavaliers in 2006 rotating between first base and pitcher. At the plate, Doolittle hit .318 with 63 hits in 198 at-bats. He led the team in RBI (52) and base-on-balls (50), while posting a .980 fielding percentage. The sophomore southpaw also started 13 games on the mound for the Cavaliers posting a record of 10-1 with a save and a team-leading ERA of 1.90. The Tabernacle, N.J., native registered 94 strikeouts in 80.2 innings, while holding opponents to a .187 batting average. Doolittle becomes the second Cavalier to win Player of the Year honors in the last three years.

North Carolina’s Andrew Miller was tabbed ACC Pitcher of the Year. Miller is currently tied for the league-high in wins with 11 in 2006, while posting an ERA of 1.71 which is tops among starters in the ACC. The junior left-hander is second in the conference in strikeouts with 98 as he worked 89.2 innings this season. Miller became the Tar Heels’ career strikeout leader this year recording No. 290 in last week’s game against Boston College. Miller surpassed Michael Hoog, who accumulated 289 K’s from 1987-1990. Miller, a native of Gainesville, Fla., also became the first 11-game winner for North Carolina since 1995.

Allan Dykstra of Wake Forest was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. In his first year with the Demon Deacons, Dykstra led the team in home runs (14), RBI (55), base-on-balls (51) and hit-by-pitches (12), while starting in all 53 games at first base. Dykstra batted .331 on the season and his 14 home runs were the second most recorded in the ACC in 2006. The San Diego, Calif., native also played well defensively for Wake Forest posting a .986 fielding percentage, committing only seven errors in 496 chances. Dykstra becomes just the second Demon Deacon to win this award in school history.

For the third time in his career, Clemson’s Jack Leggett was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Leggett led the Tigers to a 43-13 regular season finish and the No. 1 overall seed in this week’s conference baseball tournament with a league-best 24-6 mark. Under the tutelage of Leggett, Clemson was ranked in the top 15 all season by three major polls including four consecutive weeks at No. 1 by Baseball America. This is the 21st regular season title for the Tigers and first since 1995

Atlantic Coast Conference Announces 2006 Baseball Awards

First TeamName, School, Position

Matt Antonelli, Wake Forest, Third BaseMatt Camp, NC State, OutfieldRamon Corona, NC State, Second BaseJay Cox, North Carolina, OutfieldJosh Cribb, Clemson, Starting PitcherAndy D’Alessio, Clemson, First BaseSean Doolittle, Virginia, Starting PitcherTom Hagan, Virginia, Designated Hitter/UtilityBryan Henry, Florida State, Starting PitcherJosh Horton, North Carolina, ShortstopBen Hunter, Wake Forest, Relief PitcherJon Jay, Miami, OutfieldAndrew Miller, North Carolina, Starting PitcherDanny Payne, Georgia Tech, OutfieldShane Robinson, Florida State, OutfieldEddy Rodriguez, Miami, Catcher

Second TeamName, School, PositionAaron Bates, NC State, First BaseJason Berken, Clemson, Starting PitcherTyler Chambliss, Florida State, Starting PitcherTyler Colvin, Clemson, OutfieldJonathan Diaz, NC State, ShortstopAllan Dykstra, Wake Forest, First BaseWes Hodges, Georgia Tech, Third BaseJeff Kindel, Georgia Tech, OutfieldCaleb Mangum, NC State, CatcherBrandon Marsh, Virginia, OutfieldChris Perez, Miami, Relief PitcherJon Still, NC State, Designated Hitter/UtilityJacob Thompson, Virginia, Starting PitcherJemile Weeks, Miami Second, BaseMatt Wieters, Georgia Tech, CatcherRobert Woodard, North Carolina, Starting Pitcher

Player of the Year: Sean Doolittle, VirginiaPitcher of the of the Year: Andrew Miller, North CarolinaFreshman of the Year: Allan Dykstra, Wake ForestCoach of the Year: Jack Leggett, Clemson